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The water crisis in South Sudan
South Sudan
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2 months agoProblems
Causes of the water crisis in South Sudan
The Republic of South Sudan is located in East-Central Africa. South Sudan’s population is 13 million, and over 50% lack proper access to clean water resources. Constant conflict and civil war, which began in 2013, led to the current water crisis in South Sudan. During the war, the nation’s water systems were deserted and demolished. As only 2% of the country’s water is used domestically, the South Sudanese people’s access to clean water is scarce. Furthermore, South Sudan’s water resources are transboundary waters shared with other African countries. The Nile River Basin is South Sudan’s primary water source but is shared with ten other countries. This shared ownership intensifies the water crisis in South Sudan.
Health implications of the water crisis in South Sudan
South Sudanese families often drink dirty water to survive without access to clean water. This increases their risk of receiving waterborne diseases like diarrhea or parasites. The disease kills more than 2,000 children every day, a toll greater than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined. Currently, in South Sudan, 77% of children under the age of five die from diarrhea. In addition, the country is home to 24% of the world’s lingering Guinea worm cases, a parasitic infection. Numerous water-focused charities are combating the current water crisis in South Sudan by facilitating clean water improvements.
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Timelines
2024
April 11
As the conflict in Sudan nears its one-year mark, the UN Refugee Agency is warning that over 25 million people are facing a humanitarian crisis with no end in sight. Ahead of the anniversary of the conflict on April 15, UNHCR said that Sudan and its neighbours are experiencing one of the largest and most challenging humanitarian and displacement crises in the world. Thousands of refugees have continued to cross borders daily as they flee the war, with most arriving in South Sudan. The number of displaced people has "now surpassed 8.5 million people, with 1.8 million of them crossing borders," said Olga Sarrado, UNHCR spokesperson.
March 18
South Sudan closes schools due to 45C(113F) heatwave. Authorities advise parents to keep children indoors during extreme heat waves, which are expected to last two weeks. Deaths "related to excessive heat" have already been reported, officials said on 16 of March. Residents in parts of the capital Juba sweltered without electric fans on Monday as the heat sparked power cuts. The streets of Juba, home to more than 400,000 people, were largely quiet in the afternoon as local media reported temperatures of 41C (106F). It is exceptionally early for South Sudan to experience such heat - temperatures often exceed 43C (109F) but only in the summer months, according to the World Bank's Climate Change portal.
2023
November
South Sudan is simultaneously drowning and drying as the climate crisis tightens its grip. An unprecedented flooding crisis has swallowed large swathes of the country while other parts grapple with a devastating drought. Flooding in South Sudan displaced 1 million people in the previous years. However, with a new water mass, the size of Lake Michigan still covering their farmland, rampant government corruption, and decreasing aid, people are feeling the harm of climate change. The WPS long-term forecast does not cover South Sudan, but the short-term forecast predicts continued conflict in parts of South Sudan.
April 15
A war broke out in Khartoum, Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In the first month of the conflict, almost one million people were displaced. 200,000 people have been forced to flee across Sudan’s borders, including almost 70,000 refugees who are seeking safety in South Sudan. “When people become displaced, whether within a country or over borders, they require support as they carry very little provisions, " explains the IRC emergency director for East Africa, Shashwat Sarif. “The latest violence has led to acute shortages of food, water, medicines, and fuel, while the price of essential items has significantly increased.” South Sudan will need continued support and funding to not only address their ongoing humanitarian crisis but to meet the needs of people fleeing war in Sudan. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides primary, reproductive, and environmental health care, nutrition and protection services, and economic recovery and resilience services to vulnerable communities. The IRC partners with national and state authorities and local partners to strengthen health systems and support people displaced by the crisis.
2020
The nonprofit Water for South Sudan has drilled drills since 2003, restored wells, and taught hygiene lessons. The hygiene lessons include information on washing hands properly, covering water containers to keep the water clean, food safety practices, and how to dispose of waste. Water for South Sudan has uplifted entire South Sudanese villages.
2013
The Water Project, a charity concentrated on ending the water crisis across sub-Saharan Africa, partnered with Neverthirst, a sponsor group for water charities. The organizations drilled wells in their combined project, Wells for Sudan.
2011
East African drought and low rainfall further exacerbated the water crisis.
2008
Water is Basic is a borehole drilling operation that manufactured its first water well in the Republic of Sudan.
1990
Diarrhea has become the leading cause of death for children in poor countries, accounting for one in nine child deaths worldwide.